Jackass Forever

My View: Jackass Forever   (2022) R   The Jackass gang is back for one last time of death-defying stunts that any normal person wouldn’t do, but we know that these guys aren’t normal. Ok, so I was never a fan of the TV series, but I did enjoy the last movie, Jackass 3D. I will tell you what I told the studio rep after seeing the film; despite my better judgment, I really thought this film was funny and fun to watch. Now I will warn you that this film is not for the squeamish, and you will see a whole heck of a lot of male full-frontal nudity. I think what makes this so much fun to watch, besides all the crazy, idiotic stunts, is the reactions of the rest of the gang when something horrible happens in a stunt. It's also the relief on their faces when they realize that that could be them tied down in a room covered in honey and salmon with a big live bear. The gang is led by Johnny Knoxville, who has the most fun watching his friends get creamed (no pun intended) by a stunt, as he is the instigator, often starting stunts on his own with a taser. Jackass Forever is undoubtedly the last one that Knoxville will do, as he is now over fifty and was very seriously hurt several times during the filming, including a stunt near the end of the film where I think he may have died for a few seconds. Most of the Jackass gang, which has added a few new recruits, look like they have been through several wars these past ten years since the last film, with the exception of Steve-O, who looks better now than he did in the previous movie, mainly because he has gotten off of drugs and alcohol. So, if you are brave, sit down and enjoy a bunch of people being tortured just for the fun of it. You will laugh, though you might be a little ashamed afterward.    My Rating: Full Price   Jackass Forever Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View:  Moonfall   (2022) PG-13   A mysterious force has knocked the moon from its orbit and is in a collision course with Earth. A former astronaut, Jo Fowler (Halle Berry), enlists a ragtag team (Patrick Wilson, John Bradley) to help her go on an impossible mission, leaving everything they love behind to try to save the Earth. The only problem, the moon isn’t what we think it is. Let me give you an example of how stupid this film is (or how stupid the filmmakers think we are). Halle Berry, a former astronaut, has become head of NASA (don’t ask how) and is now on a mission to save Earth. She states how she doesn’t know how much time they have to complete the mission before the world starts to send nukes to blow up the moon. Five minutes later, she states that ‘We have only ten minutes before they send the nukes.’ That is how well the plot of this film has been thought out. In fact, I bet a ten-year-old could come up with a better plot than this film has. Besides saving the Earth from disaster, all three leads have back stories where they are trying to repair their relationships with their loved ones. Patrick Wilson is a former astronaut whose life was destroyed after being blamed for a disastrous mission and now has a troubled teenager (Charlie Plummer) who goes on a joyride that turns into one of those car chases you see on TV. Berry is a single mom whose marriage has fallen apart, and John Bradley has never lived up to his mother’s expectations or his own. So while trying to save the Earth from certain destruction, they are still trying to fix their families. The plot has so many holes in it that you start going, ‘well, that would never happen, but ok, let's let that go.’ I will leave you with this. A central plot point is that they take a Space Shuttle, a spacecraft that hasn’t flown since 2011, and in 24 hours, it is launched in space. Oh, and it has graffiti on it.    My Rating: Cable   Moonfall Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Jockey (2021)   Jackson (Clifton Collins Jr.) has been a jockey for a long time, and the toll that it’s taking on his body is catching up to him. When Jackson learns that his longtime trainer (Molly Parker) has acquired what appears to be a championship horse, he knows this could be his last chance. Jackson’s failing body and a new hot jockey (Moises Arias) on the scene are throwing into question his ability to continue his lifelong passion. All he needs is one last ride. What would you do if your mind told you to keep going but your body couldn’t? This is what almost every professional athlete has to go through in their career. When do you hang it up? Jackson is a jockey who has had past success but struggles to keep riding due to mounting injuries, some of which could be life-threatening. Clifton Collins Jr. gives us a touching and meaningful performance of a man who loves what he does and doesn’t want to give it up. Jackson is supported by his trainer Ruth, played by the fabulous Molly Parker. Ruth, a longtime trainer, has bought a horse that she thinks could be a champion, and she wants her partner in crime, Jackson, to ride this horse to fame and glory. But Jackson has two secrets that are bringing him down. The new jockey in town, played by Moises Arias, says that he is his son, and Jackson is starting to suffer serious side effects from previous injuries that could stop his ability to ride. Clifton Collins Jr. is brilliant as Jackson, a man who has a good heart and is a standup guy but can’t admit that he needs to hang it up. If this was a bigger studio film or had more star power behind it, I would say that Collins Jr. would be getting an Academy Award nomination out of this role, but I just don’t think enough voters will see this smaller film. But you should.   My Rating: Full Price   Jockey Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: Sundown (2021) R   Neil and Alice (Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg) are with their family on vacation at a fancy resort in Mexico. When a family emergency cuts their trip short, the family’s tight-knit order is struck to its core when one family member refuses to go back, bringing long-simmering tensions to rise to the surface. I love a film that doesn’t spell anything out for you. This is a film that slowly reveals itself, letting you try to figure out what is going on with its characters and never giving you too much information (though almost everything is explained by the end of the movie). Sundown is a character study on how different people deal with a crisis. Roth gives us a man who seems always to be moving in slow motion and is one of very few words (I would love to know the total of his lines in the script are). I loved this film and how it slowly peels back the story to let us into Neil’s world. Neil is a man you will not like until maybe the end of the movie, and even then, you might still not like or understand him. But that’s ok; it’s still an interesting journey that we go on with him.    My Rating: Full Price   Sundown Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: The Wolf and the Lion (2021) PG   After her grandfather’s death, 20-year-old Alma (Molly Kunz) decides to return to his cabin on a little island in the heart of the wilderness. While there, she rescues a wolf cub from certain death. While raising the cub on her own, a plane crashes nearby, and the only survivor is a new addition to Alma’s growing family, a lion cub who was destined for a zoo. This is a sweet, simple, and well-meaning tale that kids and animal lovers will enjoy, while the rest of us may become a little bored. The two cubs are adorable, and their interactions are the highlight of the film. Unfortunately, the film has a plot that is a bit dull and very predictable, with a bit of over handedness on the cruelties of caging wild animals for people’s entertainment. The film writes itself into a corner that it quite can’t get out of, and the ending to the film is unbelievable. Still, young children may be entertained by two very different wild animals interacting and enjoying each other’s company.   My Rating: Cable   The Wolf and the Lion Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Book of Love (2022)   Young, uptight English writer Henry (Sam Claflin) has a novel that has been an absolute failure. Henry is startled to find out that his book is a massive hit in Mexico and is invited there to promote it. He soon discovers why his book is such a hit; his Spanish translator Maria (Verónica Echegui) has rewritten his book into an erotic romance novel. Consequently, Henry must go on a book tour with Maria, not knowing anything about a book he is supposed to be the author of. I was really looking forward to this film. I love rom-coms, and I have much love in my heart for Mexico, but I was a little disappointed in the movie. I loved the fact that about 1/3 of the film was in Spanish. I'm not too fond of films that make everyone speak English in a foreign land. I wish the film had done a better job of showing the beauty of Mexico, but I felt that the film never left their one location, except for a few shots of Mexico City. I wanted more sparks between Claflin and Echegui, both of which are very likable on screen but never entirely developed the chemistry and fire that we need to see to make this film work. It’s not a bad rom-com, but nothing that the Hallmark channel doesn’t put out on a weekly basis, and I wanted more.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Book of Love Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America (2021)   Criminal defense/civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States from the beginnings of slavery in this country to the modern myth of a post-racial America. I am a history buff and took a couple of courses in college on the Civil War, so I thought I knew a lot about slavery and its history in the United States until I saw this eye-opening and engaging documentary. It’s staggering and depressing how much I didn’t know about this country's history with slavery and just how much the country's history is taught, so one-sided. Robinson gives us the story of slavery and oppression in a well-thought-out discussion where he travels the country to interview people who have suffered and lost loved ones throughout the years. Robinson talks about the assignation of Martin Luther King, Jr. and how it was a tipping point fifty years ago. This is a sobering discussion on the subject of race in America and how we haven’t really progressed at all in the fifty years since the Civil Rights era. Please watch this documentary and then discuss it with your family and friends. Robinson lets us know that we are at another tipping point in our history, and this time we must not let it slide back down the hill. My Rating: Full Price    Who We Are Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: The Long Good Friday (1980) R   Harold (Bob Hoskins) is doing well as a gangster about to hit the big time. When bombs start exploding in inconvenient places, Harold realizes that a new syndicate is trying to muscle its way on his territory. The syndicate will learn very soon that Harold isn’t going to go down without a fight. Hopkins gives one of the best performances of his career as a short-tempered mob boss who deals with force with the only thing he knows, brutality. The Long Good Friday is a film about a man who will stop at nothing to protect his stake and not take anything lying down. It’s a marvelous film that is both brutal and, at times, almost breathtaking, with a powerful performance by an actor at the top of his game.    My Rating: Full Price   The Long Good Friday Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Moonfall: Splinter Unit Gaffer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Outfit (2022) R  Leonard (Mark Rylance) is an English tailor who used to work on London’s Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, Leonard now makes his home in Chicago, in a part of town where only mobsters can afford his hand-crafted suits. All Leonard wants to do is be left alone to make clothes with his assistant (Zoey Deutch), but his life is about to get complicated when two killers show up on his shop’s doorstep. The Outfit looks like a good old-fashioned thriller with a great cast headlined by Mark Rylance.  The Outfit Website

Until Next Time!

Scream

My View:  Scream  (2022)  R   Twenty-five years have passed since Woodsboro was torn apart by a series of gruesome murders. Now a new killer has emerged, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has returned to stop the murderer again. The first Scream film, back in 1996, is still one of my favorite slasher/horror films. It had humor, played on the horror tropes of the day, and had a outstanding opening sequence (don’t answer that phone Drew). It was written by Kevin Williamson and directed by the legendary horror director Wes Craven, it was great fun for horror fans, filled with a batch of young stars. Unfortunately, it inspired the studio to do a slew of sequels that never lived up to the first film. Now comes a new Scream, the first in the series not directed by the late Wes Craven. First, this is a blood bath, with each killing very gruesome and violent. The more I think about this film, the more I like it. I will say that my first reaction was a bit negative because of some aspects of the ending, but I have come around thinking that the ending, like the rest of the film, is a play on the horror films (and action films) of the past. The film is constantly thumbing its nose at horror films, whether it is a woman watching a horror film, commenting on how stupid the victim is, just as she is about to suffer the same fate, or how the characters in the movie are talking about how the sequels of the Stab films aren’t as good as the original. Like all the Scream movies, there are plenty of clues left to figure out who the killer is, but that’s ok; it's a Scream trait. I really liked Melissa Barrera, as Sam, the young woman whose past is why the Ghostface killer has targeted her. Barrera has the fire and screen presence that makes her a great successor to Neve Campbell’s Sidney. Will you have fun? Yes, but make sure to look behind you a few times while watching this film. You never know when Ghostface will make an appearance.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Scream Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Familyfaire: Hotel Transylvania: Transformania  (2022)   Van Helsing (voiced by Jim Gaffigan) has invented a ‘Monsterfication Ray’ that has gone haywire, and Drac (voiced by Brian Hull) and all his monster friends have been transformed into something horrible; humans. I have not been a big fan of this series, but since this is the fourth film under the Hotel Transylvania banner, somebody must like them. This is the first film in the series where Adam Sandler is not the voice of Dracula (now voiced by Brian Hull), but since the film is pretty weak to begin with, Sandler isn’t missed. The film has plenty of action for young kids to be entertained by, but I was bored by the plot, and like the last two films, the jokes continually fall flat, making the film feel very long and unfunny. Luckily, the studio has decided to let parents off the hook and is releasing this film directly to Amazon Prime, so it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to sit through this poorly done attempt at animated humor.   My Rating: Cable   Hotel Transylvania: Tranformania Website  Now available on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: Drive My Car (2021)  Yûsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is a well-known actor and director who is happily married to his screenwriter wife, Oto (Reika Kirishima), when she suddenly dies. Two years after her death, Yûsuke is asked to put on a play in a town across the country and is given a driver (Tôko Miura) to transport him from his remote hotel to the rehearsal space. On the long trips, Yûsuke listens to a tape that Oto recorded for him before her death, and it brings back old memories, both good and bad. I will warn you from the start that this film is three hours long, so pack a lunch when you watch it. I mean, the opening credits don’t happen until 40 minutes into the film, with a prologue that will give you more questions than answers. And yes, you should watch it as it is filled with marvelous and moving performances. I will admit, I would have cut about 20 minutes of the film. There are a few sequences that drag a bit, but almost everything that is in this film pushes us to understand the three main characters; Yûsuke and his very complicated but loving relationship with his wife, Oto, and Yûsuke’s driver, who we are let to know slowly through their guarded interactions. This is a film full of character studies as we get to know the stories behind why almost everyone in the movie behaves the way that they do. Driving My Car is a surefire Academy Award-nominated film and probably the frontrunner for Best International Picture (the film was the pick of two of my critic group's International picture of the year). So pile into the backseat and get ready to go down the road with Yûsuke and his driver.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Drive My Car Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Belle (2021) PG   Suzu is a 17-year-old shy high-school student living in a rural village with her father. One day, she enters ‘U,’ a virtual world with over 5 billion members on the Internet. In the ‘U,’ she becomes Belle, a world-famous singer, and she embarks on a journey of discovery, challenges, and love that will change her forever. This is a beautiful and thrilling new version of Beauty and the Beast, with a big twist. The film is more about a shy, young woman who has never gotten over her mother's death, and that death has taken both her confidence in herself and her singing voice. With the help of a friend, Suzu escapes into the virtual world of the ‘U,’ where you can become another person. As Belle in the ‘U, Suzu becomes a singing sensation and suddenly Suzu, as Belle, is incredibly popular. In the ‘U,’ she meets a mysterious and seemingly dangerous character, The Beast, who is continually angry and is on a constant tear to take on all challengers in battle. But the ‘U’ and its universe is only half of this film. The other half is a film about growing up in the overly connected social network world of high school and how an innocent act of kindness can be overblown instantly. I watched the film in Japanese, and I loved the music in this film. Belle’s songs of love and courage are just magical. From reading a few reviews, I understand that the English version is just as lovely. The film is filled with meaning and has great heart, as we follow Suzu on her adventures, both in the real world (full of crushes and strife) and in the ‘U’ world (full of adventure and mystery). Belle is about finding the courage to take a stand and be yourself while also taking the chance on other people. So enter the ‘U’ and go on a journey of discovery with Suzu and Belle.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Belle Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: The House (2022)   This is an eccentric, dark comedy about a house, told through three surreal tales of the individuals who made it their home through the years. This film comprises three stop-motion animated stories that take place in the same home. The first story is the most enjoyable of the three, about a family that moves from their falling apart home to a newly built house given to them under mysterious circumstances. The family moves into the house and the young daughter, Mabel, soon learns that this gift has come with a price. Mabel’s parents, once loving and attentive, become distracted and uncaring. The house becomes filled with traps and obstacles, to where Mable and her baby sister are constantly trying to overcome, as this nightmare of a house becomes ugly and threatening. It’s a wonderfully told tale that is a bit scary and full of surprises. The remaining two tales are a little less captivating. The second is a tale of a mouse who is going about trying to re-build and flip a house with his life savings, only to have two intruders, one, a group of bugs and another, a couple of potential buyers, invade his remodeled home. The second tale never quite fully develops any tension or scares. The third tale is about a young cat trying to turn the house into an apartment building but is foiled by her lack of funds and two tenants who pay with fish or rocks rather than money. The third tale is probably the weakest of the three, with an ending that just left me wanting more. I wish the second and third tales had the imagination and the scares of the first story, but I still enjoyed the stop-motion animation of all three stories and their different filmmaking styles. While an animated film, please note that The House is for more adult audiences than kids, especially the first tale, which may be too scary for little ones.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The House Website  Now available on the Netflix platform. 

Indiefest: Italian Studies (2021)   The story of a young writer, Alina (Vanessa Kirby), who has suddenly lost her memory. Alina is now adrift in NYC, not knowing who she is or how she got there. She connects with a group of teenagers that promise to help her find her way home, but Alina has no way to know if what she is experiencing is real or imagined. Man, this is a strange film and one that I did not enjoy. It reminded me of the stream of consciousness films that came out of France in the 60s and 70s. This film follows Alina, who goes for a walk with her dog, enters a store, and then forgets who she is. The rest of the film is Alina wandering the streets of New York, meeting people and trying to figure out who she is. But the problem with this film is that Alina is trying to figure out who she is but takes such a rambling, lazy approach to it that it can be maddening how laissez-faire her attitude is. The film goes back and forth with the character interviewing the teens she has interacted with during her memory loss, but it’s never clear when or if these interviews really happen. Italian Studies is a mess of a film that, even as fine as an actor Vanessa Kirby, can’t overcome a plot with no middle or end.   My Rating: Cable   Italian Studies Website  Now playing in select theatres

Indiefest: The Velvet Queen (2021)    The Velvet Queen is a documentary about Vincent Munier, one of the world’s greatest wildlife photographers, who takes novelist Sylvain Tesson (In the Forest of Siberia) on a journey in the Tibetan plateau in search of one of the rarest big cats on the planet, the snow leopard. I loved this film, and I wish I had seen it in a theatre (instead of my computer) as the cinematography is stunningly beautiful. This is a story of a quest that is more about the journey and what you experience than what the goal is. The film explores what it is like to be so immersed in a world that you soon discover that while watching these animals, they have been studying you long before you noticed them. This film explores the wonder and beauty of the stark wilderness of Tibet, filled with wildlife that constantly surprises you as these two explorers go deeper and deeper into a world that few humans have seen or experienced. The Velvet Queen is a film that makes you appreciate the beauty of nature and how we as humans have lost contact with that world. It’s a film filled with beauty and just how diverse the animal world is.   My Rating: Full Price   The Velvet Queen Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: Never Cry Wolf (1983) PG   A government researcher, Farley Mowat (Charles Martin Smith), is set down by a bush pilot in the Arctic wilderness, where he will, camping out on his own, will study wolves, seen as only a menace to mankind. What Farley learns about wolves will change the way we see the species' impact on the environment and how they are integral to the ecosystem's survival. While Farley learns about wolves and their true beneficial impact on nature, he will also learn about himself. This is a film that would, if made today, have to be made either as an online streamer or an Indie, but at the time was made by Disney and got a major release. The film is a wonderful study of an ill-equipped man trying to survive in the wild on his own while learning that almost everything he knows about a species is wrong. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the wildlife scenes are realistically staged. Charles Martin Smith gives a winning performance of the researcher who learns how to survive in the wild and appreciate the beauty surrounding him. This film and the book it is based on changed the way we think about wolves and their impact on their environment. Once thought of as a menace, wolves are now seen as essential parts of nature’s ecosystem. Like Farley, go and spend some time with wolves and learn their ways with Never Cry Wolf.   My Rating; Full Price    Never Cry Wolf Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Scream: Toolperson

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Moonfall (2022) PG-13 A mysterious force has knocked the moon from its orbit and is in a collision course with Earth. A former astronaut, Jo Fowler (Halle Berry), enlists a ragtag team (Patrick Wilson, John Bradley) to help her go on an impossible mission, leaving everything they love behind to try to save the Earth. The only problem, the moon isn’t what we think it is. Moonfall looks like it could be a lot of fun and could be one of those films to just go have a blast with, no pun intended.    Moonfall Website

Until Next Time!